Making the Most of my Space

[bwatts]

So I'm in the process of moving my train shed from the small 12x10 building to a larger 10x25 and 13x7 L-shaped area in a larger shed (341 square feet). Still several months before construction begins, but want to see if I'm using the most of my space.

Preferences.
Scale - HO
Minimum Radius - 30" (so I can run some 89' cars)
Continuous Running
Would prefer not to have a duck-under/swinging gate
Operational a must
Mainly single track operations (focus is mainly North Texas, Union Pacific line. Former Rock Island Route from Wichita Falls to Fort Worth)

This layout is mainly 18' shelf with two reversing curves.
Would like to model the interchange with BNSF in Saginaw, but not sure how do accomplish this, unless it is just a spur that leads to a staging tracks below the main layout.
The top reversing loop will need to be moved a little farther up, as I'd like to keep larger aisles (I'm a big guy)

Here's a rough draft pic of my mainline.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cratar/8542489670/

Let me know what you think and if I should stay on this path, or look at something else. Been reading for about a year and know there are some great designers on this site.
Brian

 

[timlange3]

I understand you do not want a duck under or gate. How about a lift out bridge for the doorway or a drop down section? This could get you a twice around the room on shelves leaving the center area available for whatever. If this is being built at shoulder level a short duck under would not be painful.

 

[Selector]

Having done a swing down/up, which worked reasonably well (some issues with alignment over time, but nothing really vexing), my latest is a lift-out, and I am very happy with it to date.

If you build anything hinged that must be swung into place, don't forget to angle both meeting surfaces so that they can actually move apart and together without corners banging into each other. You want a shape, where they come together, like this //, where the swinging gate at left swings down to meet the angled face of the abutment. You can see that swinging it downward to get it out of the way will result in a collision if the gap is close...as it should be.

 

[IronBeltKen]

If you think there is even a remote chance you will have guest operators, I would avoid duckunders like the Plague. Take it from someone who's been there. I had a layout 50" off the floor, with two lift-out sections. I wound up never using them because it seemed easier for me to simply crawl under. Then I start having op sessions, and some of my guests only stayed in areas where they didn't have to crawl under or lift out the removable sections. So I wound up tearing down that layout and building one with no duckunders at all.

The track plan you posted looks like it should work quite well, I'd leave it as it is.

 

[scroggin]

The basic layout of the mainline looks excelant. Its very functional and it uses the space well without being so cluttered you havent got room for scenery. I think having a single mainline adds interest with the need to stop trains on the loop while opposing trains pass through.

The yard design could be improved significantly.
Check out this website; http://www.housatonicrr.com/yard_des.html
At the moment the plan has a combined arrival/departure/yard lead track. You would be better off with an Arrival/Departure track paralel to the Yard lead track, so that trains can arrive and depart without interfering with switching operations.

What era are you intending to model?

 

[bwatts]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll for sure adjust the smaller yard, as the larger yard on the left side is under the table and solely a storage area, approx 6 inches below the main level. Will probably add some industries in (would 4 industrial "areas") be too few? There's some cool scenery areas around here I'd like to replicate.

Industrial "Areas"
1. Rural Iowa Grain Silo (Alta, Iowa) - This will be the one "mismatch" of my layout, as my great-grandfather had a farm next to the old IC line west of Alta, did the books for the COOP, and my grandfather worked the IC before going off to Korea (as a radio man because he already knew morse code from working on the railroad).
2. Tank Farm - Trinity Tank Car has a facility in Saginaw that repairs/maintenance tank cars. Will put it inside one of the loops, and cram a bunch of tracks in there.
3. Cold Storage - Cause I like the modern reefers, and there's several cold storage industries in N. Ft. Worth to model
4. Rock Quarry - There's a huge gravel facility in Bridgeport

It will mainly be a modern era, but will add in some reason for an IC steam excursion train, again in honor of my grandfather, and the Rock Island route. Not sure what the story will be, but it'll be a doosy.

I failed to mention it, but the doorway is movable anywhere inside the smaller areas of the "L" on either of the two legs, if that makes a difference to anyone.
Thanks again, and look forward to the feedback.
B

 

[gerhard_k]

... the larger yard on the left side is under the table and solely a storage area, approx 6 inches below the main level.

B

Hello -

You may want to check the grade going down to your storage (staging) yard on the left side - it looks like about 20 feet of track to get there, at 2% you would only get 20'*0.02 = 0.40' = 4.8" of drop, remember the roadbed thickness.
Otoh, if you make the mainline go up while the staging access goes down, you can probably get enough separation to work. You do want to be able to get in there when Murphy visits.

Good luck - Gerhard

 

[bwatts]

Yeah, after posting this I've been thinking through some things. In order to get the lower yard 6" below the top level, the upper level will rise by 2" and the lower descend by 4. Also gonna move the switchpoints to the aisle side instead of on the back wall... don't know what I was thinking when I did that